


you look like yourself (but you're somebody else)

by tinypalettes



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Flashbacks, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Mild Gore, Time Travel, Vietnam War, mild slow burn, more to come - Freeform, the usual ghost shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 16:37:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18210860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinypalettes/pseuds/tinypalettes
Summary: After finally finding a second to breathe in the midst of preparing for the end of the world, Diego asks Klaus what happened in Vietnam. With a mug of hot chocolate as a bribe, and at least a few hours to spend, Klaus begins, telling his brother about the one and only man who he truly loved more than himself.





	you look like yourself (but you're somebody else)

**Author's Note:**

> hello!  
> hopefully i'll be able to update this once every, or every second, week! i noticed there weren't too many fics actually talking ABOUT Vietnam, so i decided to fix that myself, even though i am more of an artist than a writer. 
> 
> i have a klaus playlist that you can listen to while reading, if you want. title is from the song You're Somebody Else - flora cash
> 
>  
> 
> [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/kimy626/playlist/2V41u5xUnf22ugXfqZvWZO?si=3WXgxUVoSqWJOpTEv5Q7cQ)

If you asked Klaus Hargreeves what came to his mind when you mentioned Vietnam, he’d just say old men, some uninteresting war and history class with Grace. If you asked him a day later, or ten months later, depending on your view of time, he would look away in a dazed expression, a bittersweet smile on his face, and he’d tell you about the only man who made him _truly_ feel loved.

 

Diego Hargreeves was one of those very few people who asked him what _actually_ happened during his time travel shenanigans. Klaus himself wouldn’t call it _shenanigans_ , at least not in the end, more like torture. Diego noticed almost instantly something was _wrong_ about Klaus the day after he was rescued. Not only did he somehow get new clothes, but he had _tattoos_ that had clearly already healed months ago, and blood on his hands. His brother wouldn’t talk to him at first, hell it took him a _long_ time to open up, something that was more worrying, as his brother always tended to overshare. But no, here sat Klaus, the brother in the family who always enjoyed to express his problems in jokes and stories to the others, silent, fiddling with the newly acquired _dog tags_ that hung heavily around his neck, a cup of hot chocolate in front of him. It was one of the things Diego picked up from their mother.

 

“Klaus.”

 

He didn’t get a reply at first, his brother not even picking up he was getting called. Diego grew steadily more concerned.

 

“ _Klaus._ ” He got his attention now, eyes now focused on his own, no longer dazed and lost in thought. Klaus’ eyes seemed.. clearer than they’ve been in _years_ yet so _so_ much more heavier. The events of the vet bar flashed by Diego’s mind once more. He could see that Klaus wasn’t lying.

 

“Klaus, I,” he looked down, at the cup in front of them, silently wishing he had his own to hide behind for just a moment, “I want you to tell me what happened.” Diego could notice how he held the necklace a bit tighter, “I can see how.. much this is weighing on you, Klaus. Talk to me.”

 

Diego looked up, noting how Klaus kept his gaze on the cup now, sighing heavily and losing his grip around the dog tags, now wrapping his hands around the cup. “Didn’t expect you to ask me to _spill the beans_ , Diego, aren’t you _Mr. I Keep All My Emotions Bottled Up Inside Until I Die_?”

 

Alright. Gotta give it to him, he’s not wrong. But as if it didn’t piss him off just a little bit. “This- This isn’t about me, okay,” his tone might’ve been a bit harsh, “Klaus, you went through a _war_ by yourself. You need to talk about this, hell it can be to anyone, a.. therapist if you want to, although I doubt we’ll find someone who can understand time travel.”

 

“Yeah that would be just peachy!”

 

“Klaus.”

 

Another sigh escaped his brother’s lips. Diego furrowed his brows as he silently realized that Klaus seemed to have a bit more muscle to his formerly bone skinny arms. Huh.

 

“ _Fine_ , fine. I.. fine.” Klaus took a chug of the beverage in front of him, almost looking surprised over how good it tasted. He didn’t mention anything. “As.. you know,” he paused for a second, “I wasn’t alone.” A faint smile decorated his lips, “He… was the first person to really try to know me when I was thrown into their camp, with, I remind you, practically nothing on me.”

 

“You were thrown into Vietnam, the war, _naked?_ ”

 

“No, no, not _naked_ , I had a towel.”

 

“That somehow makes it worse.”

 

Klaus shushed him, Diego silently happy he managed to get an actual smile on his brother’s lips, even though it was faint, “Let me tell the story, you’re killing the atmosphere! And if I have to explain it to you, I got pants on real fast!”

 

“That’s a first.”

 

“Shush!”

 

Diego laughed, now standing up and moved around the kitchen table, making his way to the counter, waving his hand to tell Klaus to continue, starting to make himself a cup of hot chocolate too. He could tell this wasn’t going to be a short story.

 

And so, Klaus began.

 

☂

 

_Yesterday, sometime around midnight._

 

Without thinking much of anything, Klaus stole the case hidden in the air vents of the motel he had been tortured for hours in, getting his coat on and escaping through said vents. He barely heard the gunshots.

 

The moment he had gotten out, he instantly jumped on a bus, relief washing over him. Even with blood and smeared make-up on his face, nobody on the night bus even thought of asking him if he’s okay. He didn’t question it. It was fair, right? Klaus wondered how the detective was doing. He swore he had seen her before. Maybe she were one of the ones Diego knew? He had connections all over the place due to his _hobby_ after all.

 

He could hear Ben in the back of his mind, although the adrenaline rushes numbed him out. He didn’t have time for him right now. Klaus made eye contact with the woman in front of him, winking, then keeping his attention on the case he had clutched to, in hope of something valuable inside. He mumbled low to himself, silently praying to find cash, gold, maybe even diamonds, just anything he could get money off. Maybe he could pawn it off.

 

When he opened it, he didn’t find anything. He found a _somewhere_. Klaus blinked, suddenly feeling a bit nauseous, looking around— he was definitely _not_ on a bus anymore. Where the hell—

 

Klaus met eyes with, _god damn_ , a very built and handsome man, and felt just as confused as the stranger looked. He whipped his head around and took in the strange, new location he had found himself in. Was this.. a tent? It felt like he was thrown into a movie or even—

 

The sound of _bombs_ threw him off, even the handsome stranger seemed to take his attention off him, and someone suddenly started yelling at them all, ordering him to get pants - _where the hell can he get pants_ \- and in a flash of events he found himself on a bus, leading _somewhere._ He felt more confused than he was before, especially as nobody seemed to question his sudden attendance in the group that much. A hand on his shoulder made him whip his head around, the helmet uncomfortably pushing his hair down.

 

“Hey,” that same handsome stranger spoke to him, “You just come into the country?” _Country?_ Where the hell are they? “Oh, uh, yeah, yeah,” Klaus was unsure what else to say, he didn’t want to cause panic yet, he had barely had enough time to process what the hell just happened. The stranger spoke again. “Shit’s crazy right,” Klaus agreed, still confused, letting the other continue, “I’m Dave.”

 

Dave.. a simple, yet fitting name. He made a reminder to ask for his full name later.

 

“Klaus.”

 

The stranger— _Dave,_ shook his hand, and Klaus couldn’t help but to notice how strong the grip was. He smiled, pushing the case under his seat. Klaus had finally started to piece together the hints he had gotten throughout the moment he was thrown in here, which took a bit longer with the splash of denial he had to look through. He was _somehow_ thrown into a war. Which war, he wasn’t sure of yet. But he was with Americans, so luckily he hadn’t found himself in a place where he couldn’t comprehend the language. This was probably what Five had been talking about constantly. Time travel.

 

Klaus had, with the help of a goddamn _briefcase_ , time traveled.

 

With the great way of overhearing conversations and totally acting like he knew what the hell was happening, Klaus had figured out he was in the Vietnam war. He heard something to do with the _173rd_ group or something, and _Sky Soldiers._ He hadn’t heard of anything alike it before. They were sent out. Klaus was worried over what this meant. Hopefully they weren’t put in the front lines, right?

 

Oh how wrong he was.

 

This day, for the first time in his life, he was grateful for the _horrible_ training he had been forced to do his entire childhood. Now, suddenly thrown into an active war, his instincts and distant memories of lectures were getting the upper hand. He knew how to work a gun, how to disable and disarm one, maybe not as good as the men there, but good enough so it seemed as if he had been doing it for awhile. The group’s leading officer didn’t question his existence, especially not as he was handed a firearm and held it with a bit of uncertainty, then with precision, remembering _dad’s_ lectures on how to hold a rifle.

 

The moment they left the bus and was thrown into immediate action was when he realized how _silent_ it was. He couldn’t hear anyone that _shouldn’t be there._ It felt.. wrong. He shouldn’t have peace. He hadn’t had a fix in so long now, hell it might’ve been two or so days but it felt like months. Where the hell is _Ben?_

 

Before he could think more on it, his new comrade, _Dave,_ pushed his head down in the trench they were lying down in, just as shots came firing. Dave glanced at him, but didn’t seem angry for Klaus’ reckless action. He just smiled. It almost felt wrong to not get yelled at, or told he’s an liability for once. “Keep your head clear and out of trouble, alright?” A quick nod seemed enough for a response for Dave to move his attention back to the ongoing war. Klaus, now holding the firearm in his hands more tighter, followed Dave’s gaze. He wasn’t sure where he was supposed to shoot. A thought hit him, and it sent shivers down his spine. If he killed one of these men, would they haunt _him_ forever like those who haunted the two hitmen that tortured him? Klaus swallowed dryly. A bullet flew by his head. He kept his head down. He wasn’t meant to die here.

 

He wasn’t even _born_ yet.

 

Klaus held his breath. He aligned his gun. And he fired his first shot, in thirteen years.

 

☂

 

After the first mission he went on, which luckily only had covered two days, one night in quickly made up tents and someone constantly on the lookout, Klaus realized he lost the briefcase. He placed it under his seat on that bus, which, as they were hurriedly told to run out of, drove away from the action. He quickly caught on that the only way for him to go back was probably through that briefcase, and asked of the bus to one of his new comrades, who told him that the bus is the one they use almost every week, so if he had lost something on there, it wouldn’t be difficult to find it again. He was relieved. He could go back, just needed to… get through this. It couldn’t be that terrible, right?

 

Their leading officer, his name was apparently Nally, Klaus never heard his first name, was terrifying at first. The man was a feet taller than Klaus, and his personality showed it. He was a strong leader, and good at his job, too. Listening to his newly acquired friends through Dave, they told him to never piss their leader off, and Klaus almost laughed. He knew that all too well.

 

“Hargreeves.”

  
Whipping his head around, almost fast enough to give himself a concussion, he found himself in front of Nally. It felt strange to be called by his last name, in such a tone, instead of a number. It almost felt comforting in a weird way. He stood up straight, as much as he could with a bruised and exhausted body, replying with a _yes sir_ leaving his lips. He tried to not think of his childhood.

 

Nally frowned, squinting and let his gaze up and down Klaus’ body. God, it felt uncomfortable. Klaus felt more naked now than he did when he actually wasn’t wearing any actual clothes. “Private,” he began, “go to the medics’ tent. Get your injuries fixed up,” and with that, he left him without any time to respond. Huh. Standing still for a few more seconds, Klaus felt surprised with the strange way of concern being directed to him, especially by someone who just met him. The fact that the other noticed his old injuries so fast was shocking. Nobody had done that before, his siblings didn’t really care if he got hurt. Nobody came to get him when he was getting tortured for a day, except that woman; maybe Diego sent her? It didn’t make sense that he wouldn’t be there himself though…

 

Before he lost himself in his thoughts, he stumbled over to the medical bay. Inside the tent there weren’t many, two soldiers were sleeping, obviously with worse wounds than his, and a medic. A hand on his shoulder made him jump, turn around and let out a breath. Dave had followed him, with a smile on his lips. “Sorry if I scared you, just wanted to make sure everything was alright.” Klaus couldn’t help but to smile back. “You didn’t, I-I just was in.. thought.”

 

“Yeah, I figured,” Dave stepped into the tent, leading Klaus to the nearest medic who nodded at him, “Did you get hurt in the battle?” He seemed genuinely concerned, and Klaus felt something pull at his chest. “I, uh, yeah- yeah, some of it.”

 

“Some of it?”

 

“Yeah, I, uh, was injured a bit before I got sent here.”

 

Dave nodded, going silent for a while as their combat medic began patching Klaus up, telling him to take off his vest, which he did. The multiple wounds from Hazel and Cha-Cha had started to bruise up, decorating his skin with muddy colors. Klaus didn’t miss the hurt expression on Dave’s face. He was feeling bad for him? They met, what, two, three days ago?

 

“You.. look like you’ve gotten tortured,” whispered Dave, touching his own neck subconsciously as he noticed the choke bruise. Klaus laughed, although coldly. He looked down, “Yeah,” fiddling with the vest in his lap, he chuckled, “You have no idea.” An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Klaus didn’t like it.

 

“You’re strong.”

 

Klaus looked up, eyes wide, surprised by the sudden statement said by the other. Dave continued, noting the bewilderment on his face, “For, you know, continuing fighting on after all that, it- it looks like a lot.” Klaus didn’t mention how he barely escaped with his life, or his sanity, “I’ve seen many men give up after something like that, here.”

 

Did Klaus actually die in that motel room and found an angel? Because this Dave guy surely felt like one.

 

Silently, he thanked Dave, just as the medic, who had awkwardly listened to the conversation, told him he was done, his wounds cleaned and patched up. Klaus, coughing and looking around, turned to the medic, “Uh- so, are these guys gonna be alright, too?”

 

The man in front of him furrowed his brows. Klaus knew that expression. “Private, there’s.. There’s only Tristan lying there.” Klaus glanced to the side. He saw two men, although quickly realized one of them had a wound that he could now see was.. lethal. With the unknown man shifting his position, Klaus could clearly see the bullet wound through his head, opening up his skull at the back. He grimaced. “I must’ve… seen wrong. Just a bit tired.”

 

“... Don’t worry about it.”

 

Klaus didn’t see Dave glancing at him with curious eyes, lost in thought to why a certain dead brother of his wouldn’t show up. He felt more alone without him. It didn’t make any sense, Klaus had been sober for four days, he could clearly feel it more than anything else, the full body itch, the feeling of _want_ and an unease throughout his entire being. Klaus moved silently out of the tent, Dave following him.

 

“Hey, Klaus,” he turned around at the mention of his name as they were helping up packing, “I was wondering,” Dave seemed confused, but also a bit concerned, “Where’s your tags?” He held up his own for show, Klaus cursing silently in his mind. “I, uh.. I must’ve dropped them or lost them earlier.”

 

Surprisingly enough, Dave didn’t push it. Maybe he actually believed him, his injuries did make the lie believable. Once more, silence fell over the two, and this time, Klaus didn’t mind it. It almost felt… nice.

 

In the corner of his eye, he saw a soldier, still in gear, stumble over to him. He opened his mouth to tell him to watch out and not walk into him, when the man instead walked _through_ him. Klaus shivered. It never felt nice to feel a ghost pass through him, it was too cold and too uncomfortable. Ben used to do it to annoy him before. Klaus felt his fingers twitch at the thought of his deceased brother. He had already seen two ghosts, but not the one he wanted to see. He frowned, deep in thought. His eyes widened as it hit him.

 

Ben wasn’t _born_ yet. He wasn’t _dead._ Not in this timeline, not now. There’s no way he could get here, _he_ wasn’t the one who time travelled. _Shit._

 

A _screech_ made him jump. Klaus snapped his head up, turning to Dave, who hadn’t even moved an inch. Ah. It was starting again. And this time he didn’t have a brother to calm him down. Klaus exhaled shakily, focusing on packing down the tent in front of him, and the light nearby. He did everything to not glance to the movements in the shadows around the corners of his vision. It was going to be a rough time until he can get a hand on the briefcase again.

 

☂

 

They were in a different bus this time. They were driving through a nearby city, and Klaus couldn’t help but to glue his gaze out to the people and buildings. Dave sat next to him, mimicking his actions most of the time. Sometimes he spoke to the others sitting around them, he seemed to be liked by everyone. Even Klaus had started to take a liking to him. He was… shockingly kind and soft, especially for a soldier. He was sure Dave would make someone very happy after the war, since everyone kept talking about their girlfriends or wives that they missed. Klaus had kept silent on that matter. His last partner was a guy named Kai, he barely could remember how they met, only that Klaus was thrown out of his apartment as they broke up. It wasn’t the nicest break-up, although not even close the worst he has had. But Klaus didn’t mention any of his male, or nonbinary, partners when anyone in his newly acquired squadron asked him. He wasn’t dumb, he knew the homophobia and the norms of this age. Especially in the military parts, it was similar to sports. In his own time he could play around a lot more, although he wasn’t there anymore.

 

To keep his mind occupied, he started counting the ghosts he noticed as they drove around in the city. He had already found ten in the thirty minutes they had been driving. Most were young kids, some he was unsure if they even were alive or not, but some had their skulls caved in, or limbs missing, wandering lost. Klaus sighed.

 

He turned to the man sitting next to him, eyes widening slightly as he noticed now he had been stared at, and Dave wasn’t shying away when their eyes met, either. Klaus, posing with his hands under his chin, fluttered his eyelids. “Like what you see, big boy?” He made his voice an octave higher than normal. Dave snorted, then bust out laughing. “I- sorry, I did not expect a reaction like that,” he was still laughing, and _god,_ that smile was better than a super model’s. Klaus silently wished Dave lived during his time, he wouldn’t mind spending some more time with him. Dave’s eyes met his again, “We’re getting off.”

 

Klaus silently noted that the other man never answered his question. Interesting.


End file.
